Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-05-20

Ol ISlulduS dt OOG6yoDuIS CduuOu p6
perpetuated on the spot where it took
place. 1t is historically important that it
should be. A century from now, a monu-
ment at Richmond will not convey to the
beholder any idea of what was accomplish
ed by the Virginians at Cemetery Hill. 1t
was soldierly feat that at the time chal-
lenged the admiration of both continents
The distance of the charge was fourteen
hundred yards, nearly mile; the ground
was crossed by many fences that had to be
taken do wn as they marched, and the height
at the end of the bloody way was covered
with hostile canon. Forty nine hundred
Virginians with steady step started across.
In thirty minutes twenty eight hundred
of them were killed or wounded. But the
rest crossed it and disappeared in the
smoke oyer the hostile works. There was
five minutes fighting there. and the scant
remains of the division reappeared as
little body of retreating stragglers. The
General of every brigade had fallen, and
of all the field officers but one Major es-
capped unhurt. Of the charge, Gen. Hunt,
the officer commanding the hostile artil-
lery writes, twenty-four years after. 1.-THE
Confederate approach was magnificent
and excited our admiration; but the story
of the charge is SO well known that need
not dwell upon it, And of it Gen. Alex
der, who commanded the Confederate ar
tillery writes, twenty-four years after, "No
one could have looked at that advance
without being proud of it," At the point
which the Virginians reached after pene-
trating the hostile lines, the last Brigadier-
general, Armstead, fell, and it is at that
point that the survivors of the charge de-
sired on the twenty-fourth anniversary of
the assault. to erect monument.
They got permission from the Federal
authorities in control Of the ground, to
erect it at the point from which the divi-
sion started to the assault, but only
got permission to put marking stone at
the point where Gen. Armstead fell. The
polite excuse for the restriction, IS that
so much confusion had arisen in putting
up monuments on the field that it had been
determined to have line drawn-all the
Confederate monuments TO go On one side
aud the Union on the other. But this ar
rangement would appear to deprive the
projected monument of all its significance;
it is the point reached by the division that
is pregnant with memory. AS all this
must be as plain to those in control of the
field as to everybody else, and as simple
monument to mark the bravery Of body
of American soldiers, evinced by the point
which they reached under terrific fire
could not be Objectionable to other Amer
lean soldiers, we suspect that the excuse
given by the Union authorities was po-
lite evasion of the cause. And that cause.
We suspect, was the inscriptions upon the
monument. We read them when they
were first printed in the Richmond papers,
before there had been any rejection at
Gettysburg, and could not help feeling
that they were better suited to locality
in one of the ex-Confederate States than
on the soil of Union State and by the
courtesy of Union officials. We say very
candidlY that if the Confederate States
had succeeded in setting up a govern
ment, and any Union Eaiiitary organiza-
zion mad applied for permission TO erect to
the valor of its members a monument not
simply marking the spot, but covered with
inscriptions unfolding the justice and
righteousness of their attempt to subiu-
gate the Confederate States, they would
not have gotten it in the 10Th century. In
carinfinpo T1nioro tc
Southern States, abiding to the "rebel-
lion," would not have been very plentiful
if the Confederacy had pulled through
not more plentiful than the ''lost cause"
inscriptions are likely to be in Pennsylva-
MIA. We suspect, though it is only sus-
picion, that this had something to do with
the assignment of the Pic zett Division
monument to place whore it would fall
short of the object it was intended to &C
complish.
But whatever the reason, or wherever
the obstacle lies. it is we say again great
pity that the-or rather-a monument, sat-
as far as possible to all interested
cannot be erected at the spot where Arm.
stead fell and the Virgil aians ended their
charge. 1t is to perpetuate heroic deed
that made the name of t Q Virginia SOL
diers known all over the world and has
sent them into histories written in every
tongue spoken by the world. 1t is mat
ter of State pride, healthy. sound, justi-
fable State pride in the bravery of her
sons, that this recori STALL not be found |
only floating through books where it may |
be attacked in after years as a myth; but !,
should be anchored to solid ;ons browning
The spot where it was made. Located in
this monument will to later
generations be rather cI8i n of glory |
asserted by one party to conflict; located